Trust and Follow Mr. Coelho

PSV Eindhoven`s coach Guus Hiddink, who once led the South Korean national team during the Korea-Japan World Cup 2002, was still busy. I visited the training camp of Hiddink`s Dutch team Monday morning. I only got to be able to sit with him when his morning training and lunch were over.

He still loves Korea and Korean fans. From time to time, however, he confessed what he felt sorry about Korea and Korean fans. He, however, did not forget expressing his concern and affection for his successor Umberto Coelho. He was quoted as saying, "The Korean soccer has arrived at a critical moment. The most important thing is to give trust to coach Coelho." The following are excepts from the interview with him:

-Almost one year has passed. What was the most impressive moment during the last World Cup?

"I got a message from the Korean government just one day before we were supposed to take on Italy for the ticket to the round of 16. The message said, if we should win the game, my men would be exempted from the military service as if they won a gold medal in the Olympics. After the training, I gave the message to my men. They hugged each other and encouraged themselves. It was really moving. And they did push themselves to the limit and won it."

-You may not have expected to move up to the semifinal to begin with?

"Of course, not. But I was not surprised much. I had watched them changing just prior to the World Cup. To be frank with you, I didn`t expect them to beat all of Portugal, Italy and Spain."

-What was the toughest moment for you as the national team coach?

"Getting closer to the World Cup, the tough road I took brought about some opposition. We took on strong teams like France. I knew we might lose. But I thought it would be a good lesson to teach my players what it meant to lose. That was why I did that. But some people got mad and criticized, `Hiddink lost again!` Others told me to encourage their pride and confidence instead. What`s the point in winning like that? [It] would have only hidden the problems out of sight."

-Will you take the Korean team for the Germany World Cup in 2006?

"Mr. Coelho is doing great now, isn`t he? I will concentrate on Eindhoven one more year. It`s too early to tell what will happen for the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 World Cup."

-We heard that you said on Dutch TV that it was too hard to take the Korean team with Koreans expecting too much. What would you say to it?

"I just talked about the basics. I was wondering whether it would be wise to take the team again. In the Germany World Cup, the European teams will stand out. They are really tough and fast. It would be a great achievement for the Korean team to advance to the round of 16. [On TV,] I said that it would be really hard to achieve what we did during the last World Cup."

-Are you implying that the Korean national team has been downgraded since last year`s World Cup?

"The Korean soccer is changing now. Major players will be over 30 by 2004 or by 2006. Mr. Coelho is doing a tough job of finding new players and turning them into experienced players."

-What`s the difference between you two?

"I know Mr. Coelho personally. He is an experienced leader. He has led many strong teams. I recommended him."

-What`s the new trend, if any, in the world soccer?

"More speed and power is being demanded. It has become harder to survive the speedier and tougher European soccer."

-What`s you evaluation of Korean players in Eindhoven? You are reportedly considering brining Lee Chun-soo over, too. Is it correct?

"Lee Young-pyo did not need any adjustment at all. He was and is amazing. Park Ji-sung first had a tough time due to the injury. Now, he is OK. Both are contributing a lot to the team. I am considering bringing over Chun-soo on the same conditions that Park received. The ball is in the hand of Chun-soo and his team."

-What do you think was the reason for Kim Nam-il`s failure in Netherlands?

"The problem was more with the team than with Kim himself. His team is in the first league. In substance, however, it is a second-class team. In other words, it is not the team with which Kim could stand himself out. I don`t think it was Nam-il`s personal failure at all."

-Which part of Korean do you really want to go back?

"Seoul and Chuju Island."

-You are an honorary citizen of South Korea. You have received a house in Cheju as a gift. Have you ever been there? Do you have any plan to spend the rest of your life after retirement?

"I will retire next week and spend my life there in Cheju. (Laughing) Unfortunately, I could not come back to Cheju after the World Cup. I am not thinking about living there for now. But who knows?"

With a big laugh, we finished up the interview. Hiddink was missing Korea. That was definitely certain. But he also seems struggling under the unbelievable achievement he and his men brought about and the high expectations South Koreans have on him. Suddenly, I thought it might be a time for us to let him go. Hiddink, however, has left so much for us to just let him go.

Jei-Gyoon Park phark@donga.com